Exploring the Deep Ocean Basins with Satellites and Ships Needs for improved bathymetry What is missing? How can we do better? David T. Sandwell - Scripps.

Exploring the Deep Ocean Basinswith Satellites and Ships

• Needs for improved bathymetry

• What is missing?

• How can we do better?

David T. Sandwell - Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Walter H. F. Smith - Laboratory for Satellite Altimetry, NOAA

Joseph J. Becker - Naval Research Laboratory

Objective – construct the best possible global map of the deep ocean floor for science, public outreach, and applications.

Funding:Google Inc.National Science FoundationOffice of Naval Research National Geospatial Agency

Needs for Improved Bathymetryin the Deep Oceans

Science•global tectonics, seafloor roughness

•seamounts

•tsunami models

•ocean circulation and tides

•marine ecosystems

•planning tool

Outreach and applications

•education and outreach

•military applications

•Industry applications

modern mapping tools

multibeamecho sounder

satellite altimeter

Google Earth

SRTM30_PLUS & sounding coverage

Data Sources multi-beamsoundings

single-beamsoundings

predicted from satellite gravity

How can we do better?

•Improve public archives of bathymetry.

•Map the oceans with multibeam echosounders - ships of opportunity.

•Acquire new satellite altimeter data.

•Declassify US Navy bathymetry data.

Conclusions

• ½ of seafloor is more than 10 km from a depth sounding – mostly southern oceans

•We can improve deep ocean bathymetry by:• improve public archives and encourage data sharing (e.g. declassify US

Navy data)

• constructed low-resolution bathymetry from satellite gravity

• map oceans with ships of opportunity guided by satellite gravity

Objective – construct the best possible global map of the deep ocean floor for science, public outreach, and applications.

data available at:http://topex.ucsd.edu

EXTRA SLIDES

[Smith and Marks, 2009]

1/2 of global seafloor is more than 10 km from a depth sounding

areas of seafloor more than 10 km from a sounding

uncharted seamounts> 3 km tall

Grounding of USS San Francisco on Uncharted Guyot

• Los Angeles class Submarine ran aground in route from Guam to Brisbane, Australia - 8 January, 2005

• One sailor killed, 120 injured

• Crash depth ~160 m, speed 33 kn, Sonar measured a depth of 2000 m, 4 minutes before crash

• 30-hour trip back to Guam, crew managed to keep the sub from sinking

• Area of discolored water noted on navigational chart 4.8 km, south of crash site

• Navy began basing attack submarines in Guam in 2002

Grounding of USS Guardian on Tubbataha Reef

• Background. USS GUARDIAN ran aground on Tubbataha Reef on 17 January 2013 at 0222(H). The grounding caused damage to a protected reef and necessitated a lengthy and expensive salvage effort that resulted in the total loss of one of 14 MCMs in the United States Navy inventory.

• Causation. This tragic mishap was wholly preventable and was the product of poor voyage planning, poor execution, and unfortunate circumstances. . . . the leadership and watch teams relied primarily on an inaccurate Digital Nautical Chart (DNC) coastal chart during planning and execution of the navigation plan.

Ship of Opportunity ExampleCapetown to Punta Arenas - Melville - Feb, 2011

red - great circle = 6896 kmgreen - 10 new seamounts = 7130 km (1.034)violet - 11 new seamounts = 7069 km (1.025)

Actual tracksCapetown to Punta Arenas - Melville – March, 2011

MEDEA: Scientific Utility of Naval Environmental Data, (Mitre, Co., June, 1995)

MEDEA: Scientific Utility of Naval Environmental Data, (Mitre, Co., June, 1995)